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PRe-listing Fitbits to cancer patients could increase survival rates, according to research.
Physicians found that patients with higher steps had mortality rates that were one-third lower than those of other patients.
Experts said the link between activity levels and survival was so strong that doctors could end up prescribing steps, instead of taking medication.
And they said that trackers could give doctors insight into the health of cancer patients and how they respond to treatment.
Although patients can assure doctors that they stay active, portable devices can give a true picture, they said.
Speaking at the annual conference of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, in Chicago, doctors said that wearable devices would become a standard part of treatment in the future, with 70 ongoing clinical trials.
A study on cancer patients, involving the Cancer Institute (ICR) and the Royal Marsden Hospital, revealed that a thousand additional steps were linked to lower mortality rates. a third.
Separate US studies of patients with advanced disease also found that the number of steps was closely related to survival times. The study of 37 patients, who averaged 3,700 steps per day, found that those who performed 1,000 extra steps a day were twice as likely to be alive at the end of the day. 39, six-month study.
The experts stated that exercise levels may reflect a patient's poor condition and provide useful insights into his ability to respond to treatment.
Dr. Andrew Hendifar, a researcher at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said, "We may be able to tell patients; An average of 4,000 steps per day, that is, 6,000 or 8,000 steps, may be more useful than a prescription drug, "he said.
Professor Johann de Bono, involved in the ICR study, said: "We believe that the fitness levels of cancer patients can be monitored by Fitbit. This can help doctors know how well they will be able to cope with the treatments. It can also give us an idea of how long they live.
"In simple terms, if you're less fit, you're less likely to succeed and die quickly. But it also encourages patients to look at their number of steps and to be more fit and active, which can help them get better.
"This small study shows that the most capable patients were three times less likely to die," he added.
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